The present invention is related in general to isothermal containers for the distribution of warm meals, particularly but not exclusively in the field of collective catering, of the type comprising a tray made of a thermally insulating material provided with recesses housing therein respective vessels for containing foodstuffs, at least in part warm, and a cover made of a thermally insulating material detachably applied onto the tray.
Isothermal containers of the above referenced type are presently manufactured and marketed by the Applicant: they provide the ideal solution to the various packaging and distribution requirements of single complete meals, further performing the function of a support when the meal is being taken. These containers are particularly advantageous whenever it is necessary to manage single meals in places which are decentralized from the food cooking installations, such as for instance in the case of hospitals, hotels, congress places, yards, camps, factories etc. Moreover, using these isothermal containers is also particularly useful in case of domiciliary assistance to elderly and non self-sufficient people, as well as of enterprises for the delivery of warm meals at purchaser's door.
In all the above situations the thermally insulating construction of the container enables to thermally insulate from the outer environment the warm foodstuffs contained within the respective vessels housed in the tray recesses: however, when the time between cooking of the foodstuffs and delivery of the container to the consumer is long, there is the risk that the warm foodstuffs get cool, thus jeopardising the fragrance and the organoleptic characteristics of the food. This problem is particularly critical in case of collective distribution of the warm meal containers at a fixed time (for instance in case of a hospital), which is traditionally carried out employing a transport device (normally a trolley) for a number of isothermal containers which are to be one at a time distributed. In fact in this case, in order to preserve as much as possible the thermal characteristics of the warm foodstuffs it is necessary to optimise and coordinate with the best punctuality the cooking phase of the food and the distribution phase of the containers, with evident difficulties under the organising point of view.